Note to Self

(20 years old, and very nervous about life :)

I am in a bit of a funk these days.

Cooking doesn't seem that fun, though I am still making good things for dinner most nights. I cleaned out my closet a few weeks ago, and I'm left feeling like I don't like what I got rid of, but I also don't really like what I kept. I am reading (and reading and reading!), but nothing that's making me feel totally "yay!" There are a few little things I'd like to do around the house, but...eh. Part of this stems from some Bigger Life things that feel a bit out of my control.

We are thinking more seriously about buying a house. But will a not-scary house that we can actually afford come on the market? Will we like being home owners? We've seen a few, and they left me with this feeling:

Embrace the lovely life you have right at this moment.

Because right now, even though parts of my life feel a bit out of control, or just plain ho-hum, I want to ditch this funk and remember my clean, bright, pretty home now. The good dinners I can make each night now. The hours that stretch before me to read and think and see friends and do yoga. The ordinary nights at home with Peter and wine and a favorite show we can watch all together in one big gulp.

*   *   * 

I recently read through an old journal that I've kept very infrequently since I was in college. I usually only write there when I'm upset or mad, which happily isn't too often. Since it's mostly used during tough-ish times, it's certainly a skewed snapshot, but I was stuck by early entries that are filled with worries about being lonely and having a lame life. I was never going to meet anyone fantastic, my friends would realize I was boring, I wouldn't get a fun job.

If I could have told myself that I was going to meet Peter a month before I collected my college diploma, that I would keep all of my dear friends very close, that I would have a series of mostly fun jobs, I would have been shocked and relieved at how beautiful my life is. How lucky I am.

Right now, I'm going to try to tell myself that there are many surprises in store for these next years. But if I could get a preview for how they would turn out, I hope to be shocked and relieved at how happy - how lucky - I continued to be.

On the Agenda

On the agenda this weekend:

• Day-tripping to Concord for a walk around Walden Pond
• Buying mini gourds and pumpkins
• Adding an extra blanket to our bed so we can keep the windows open just a smidgen longer
• Eating our faces off at the Big E
• Finishing this fabulous book 
• Making a batch of creamy sorrel soup

Hope you all have a fantastic final weekend in September! XO

Dinner and a Movie

Peter and I used to be dedicated dining room eaters - at the table, candles lit, cloth napkins, music on - the whole thing. We've lately fallen into a routine of eating at the coffee table and watching a show, and while I know I'm probably supposed to feel bad about this shift, it's pretty fun. When I was a kid, I loved when my sister and I got permission to eat dinner in the family room, usually sitting the floor watching something awesome. Being able to do this whenever I want still feels like a great grown-up perk. 

Earlier this week, I made the rice noodle dish above. I cooked the chicken using this recipe. It filled up the kitchen with smoke, but it was truly amazing. The skin was so crispy and, true to Bon Appetit's claim, it was almost bacon-like! So temporarily remove your smoke detector battery and have at it :) The rest of the dish is just peanut sauce, stir fried broccoli, and scallions.  

While we were ohhing and ahhing over chicken thighs, we watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi (streaming on Netflix!). It is a great look at what it means to be truly passionate about something and hold yourself to incredibly high standards. I am often teasing Peter about his deep perfectionist tendencies, and Jiro made this quality look endearing (though I'm not sure his apprentices would agree). Deeply inspiring, and I highly recommend it.

Saying "Hi!" to the Old 'Hood

We were in New Jersey over the weekend for a baby shower and going away party. On Sunday, I was lucky enough to meet up with some of my dear NYC girlfriends (plus the sweetest little three month old baby!) for brunch. Oh, how I miss them!

When I met up with Peter, we couldn't help but make a little detour and take a quick walk around our old neighborhood.

We obviously needed a coffee fix. We have coffee in Boston, of course, but nothing as good as Gorilla :)

The whole thing made me miss New York very much, but not miss the actual living there part at all. I must go back very soon and get a good, strong fix of the city and all the good food and friends it contains.

Kissing Summer Goodbye

Last weekend, we went to the beach. It was slightly chilly - my hoodie stayed on all afternoon - but beautiful. Being at the beach in September feels like stolen time. You're someplace you're not sure you're meant to be.

When it got too windy down by the water, we went up to the estate. A wedding was going on by the main house, but we could walk the trails and see the cleared up rolling lawn in front of Castle Hill. It was overgrown earlier this summer, and the pretty ocean view was mostly hidden. It was a lovely day - the perfect way to spend the final weekend of a truly magnificent summer.

I snapped this picture as we were pulling into our neighborhood. Fall was welcoming us home.

Loving Lately

Peter's step mom served us this pumpkin shrimp curry last year, and it was a big hit. I'm excited to make it soon!

I was talked into watching one of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentaries, and I picked June 17, 1994. I was too young to remember any of the details of that famous car chase, so it was truly suspenseful (though of course I knew OJ didn't actually commit suicide). It was amazingly well-done. We've since watched The Two Escobars and Catching Hell (both excellent!).

I gave my sister this necklace in blue for her birthday, and I desperately want one, too. It's a little heavy (one of my jewelry pet-peeves), but it's cuteness will cancel that out.

Also loving:

• This book;
• This list of Boston restaurants; and 
• This Vanity Fair article (the entire issue, really).

What are you loving lately?

Paralyzed by Choice

This weekend will be our first one spent at home in a long while, and when exploring all the things we could do with these 36 hours, I was paralyzed by choice! Go out for Indian food, spend a day in Concord, golf with friends - so many fun options!

I think we've settled on spending one last (slightly chilly!) day at the beach, heading back to SOWA, aaaaand Peter will probably want to spend a chunk of time on Sunday afternoon following along as his fake football team leads him to fake victory (fingers crossed, of course).

What are you all up to this weekend? Your awesome plans will surely force me to re-evaluate my own.

Autumn Manifesto

* Work my way through my autumn reading list * Sew something * Dive into a new creative project * Make paté * Host a game night with friends * Take a hike * Eat too much at the Big E * Celebrate friends' new marriages and new babies and new houses * Go to the beach one last time * Perfect my apple cheddar crisp * Toast the season with Italian Manhattans *

Doesn't get much better

We had a lovely time in Philadelphia this weekend! It's such a charming city. And while we were there, it happened to be filled with a bunch of friends, so it really doesn't get much better. The pictures above were taken on our walk through Rittenhouse Square to St. Patrick's Church.

The church was stunning (and also super hot that day). We survived!

After the ceremony, we were able to meet up with dear friends - Adam and Ashley (of Meet Me in Philadelphia!) at Devil's Alley. We sat on the second floor by the wide open windows and got to hear all about their fantastic trip to Scandinavia, which she's recapping on her blog this week. As a warning, reading it will most definitely make you want to book the next flight to Stockholm.

The reception was held at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Such a beautiful spot! And I am happy to report that almost all the female guests wore different dresses to the reception. Everything was flawless. A few of my favorite details included the sushi chef preparing fresh rolls during the cocktail hour, a live artist (pictured above) painting the party as it was unfolding (!), and a gelato cart rolled in at the end of the dance-filled night. So much fun!

Like clockwork

(1, 2, 3) 

Each summer, I lose myself to reading, cocktails, beach trips, and grilled seafood. And every September, like clockwork, I'm drawn again to making soup, roasting chicken, hosting friends, and sewing. I always wonder if that crafty tug will pull again when I'm in the thick of summer fun. It always does.

Our bedroom is not really finished (evidenced by this long ago post - I have done exactly nothing that I intended to do then :) I spent a lot of time looking for new Euro shams, until it recently dawned on me that I can sew those with no trouble at all. I love these two fabrics, but I wonder if the floral is a bit too orange? I may just be having an autumnal moment with it. My duvet is a very, very pale pink, I have white curtains, and this braided rug in the bedroom. It could use a little floral + geometric print, right? 

Anybody else finding themselves bitten by the crafty bug these days?